The use of hot tubs for cosmetic and beauty treatments is well known.
These tubs comprise a shell designed to contain a liquid that can be heated by suitable thermostatically controlled means and transferred using pumps or other suitable machinery.
The opening of the tub shell is covered entirely by an impermeable body wrap in direct contact with the heated liquid in such a way as to transmit heat to the wrap not only by conduction but also by convective motion.
The wrap is made of an elastic and flexible plastic material. When a user lies back in the tub, the wrap adapts to his/her shape and folds over to completely wrap up his/her body.
Usually, the user's skin is covered with cosmetic products which are softened and melted by the heat transmitted by the wrap, giving a sense of wellness and guaranteeing uniformity of treatment thanks to the adhesion of the wrap to the body.
The tub is usually connected to an external water supply so that the heating liquid can be continuously recycled in such a way as to favour convective motion in the areas in contact with the wrap.
This type of tub is particularly suitable for skin care treatments, including mud therapy, and can be used for a wide variety of applications in the cosmetics sector.
EP-A-0098390 describes for example a body wrap made of an elastic and flexible material which covers entirely the opening of a tub shell and is in direct contact with the heated liquid in such a way to transmit the heat to the wrap.
When a user lies back in the tub, the wrap adapts to his/her shape and folds over to completely wrap up his/her body. The tub is usually connected to an external water supply so that the heating liquid can be continuously recycled in such a way as to favour convective motion in the areas in contact with the wrap.
One disadvantage, however, is the fact that the wrap adheres perfectly to the lower part of the user's body, which is on the same side as the tub shell, but does not adhere uniformly to the upper side of the body, which faces the outside of the shell.
Another disadvantage is the fact that the convective motion of the hot liquid is effective at the portion of the wrap that is in contact with the lower part of the user's body, but does not efficiently reach the parts of the wrap which are folded over the upper part of the user's body.
Thus, to ensure uniform treatment, the user is obliged to lie first on his/her back for one part of the treatment and then turn round to lie on his/her stomach to complete the treatment.
Moreover, the weak convective motion of the liquid at the upper folds of the wrap, significantly reduces the wellness effect because of the different temperature gradient felt by the user between the upper and lower portions of the wrap.
With reference to the medical field, several systems to regulate the body temperature in abnormal condition are known.
WO-A-9944552 describes a system and a method for controlling an individual's body and temperature. Said system comprises a heat exchanger for transferring heat to or removing heat from portions of the individual's body surface with the aim to allow controlled cooling of the body temperature, controlled heating, as well as regulating an individual's body temperature to remain at a desired set temperature. It is a unique feature of the system according to WO-A-9944552 that it takes into consideration the complexity of the heat transfer regiment from the skin to the body's core. In order to be effective in cooling or heating, the heat exchanger according to WO-A-9944552 has typically the form of a garment and has to be fitted onto the individual's skin.
This is very different from the aim of the present invention which provides a highly heat-conductive body wrap to be used connected to hot tubs for cosmetics and beauty treatments were the user's skin is covered with cosmetics products or with mud in the case for example of mud baths.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,494 describes an apparatus for warming, delivering, and distributing the water flow over at least fifty percent of the body surface of a subject and for collecting spent water into a receptacle. Said apparatus comprises a system of water-permeable water distribution tubes supplied with temperature-controlled water which distributes water over an area of an adsorbent web.
In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,494 the system is developed to be used in the medical field to regulate the body temperature particularly in the case hyperthermia.